The Grove of Narberth, Pembrokeshire restaurant review

It’s been five and half years since Mrs G agreed to let me blog about our honeymoon in West Wales. With hindsight, I’m not really sure she knew what she was letting herself in for.

As a result, a precedent was set and I’ve photographed and picked apart pretty much every single meal out we’ve had since.

During our trip all those years ago we visited The Grove, a luxury restaurant with rooms just outside the beautiful market town of Narberth in Pembrokeshire. It was frigging awesome.

So, when I heard earlier this year that Allister Barsby had taken over as The Grove’s new Executive Chef, an imminent revisit was always going to be on the cards. Barsby was previously Head Chef at the 2 Michelin starred Gidleigh Park where he worked under Michael Caines. His arrival at The Grove is a bit of a coup for Wales.

Pre-lunch drinks were taken in the bar. A Green cooler (£6) lived up to its name – the brightly coloured mocktail combined the sweetness of pineapple with a refreshing lime, mint and cucumber twang. Mrs G ordered a deliciously potent Grove Classic (£15) champagne cocktail which would have benefitted from being a touch colder. 

They were served with lovely spiced nuts and plump olives.

The stonking snacks which followed set the standard for the rest of the meal. A delicate squid ink wafer was topped with smoky mussel puree, a daintily fiery wasabi cream and fronds of dill whilst a crisp crostini was dotted with black olive tapenade, aubergine puree, fresh as you like tomatoes and metallic basil. 

At lunch, The Grove serve three different menus, the 7 course tasting menu (£89), 3 course a la carte (£59) and the blindingly good value 3 course set lunch (£24). I ordered the set lunch whilst Mrs G went for the a la carte.

Bread was of the highest order. Crisp, warm and soft, a local stout bread was the pick of the bunch. It was served with beautifully light whipped butter. A mini loaf of cheddar and rosemary bread was also very good. 

An amuse bouche of creamy as heck celeriac velouté was topped with the crunch of nut. 

Mrs G started with perfectly caramelised wobbly foie gras accompanied by sweet roasted apricots, apricot puree, candied hazelnuts and a good drizzle of honey. The contrast of soft and crunchy, sweet and savoury, fruity and fatty was absolutely bob on. 

For me, light chicken mousse filled tortellini were bathed in a crystal clear mushroom consommé dotted with funky wild mushrooms and a blob of thwackingly savoury black garlic reduction. 

Onto mains and tender pink saddle of venison was served with cumin spiced carrot puree, jasmine fragranced juicy raisins, crispy kale, caramelised chicory and a cracking glossy sauce. 

My dish of a long cooked piece of spoonably tender beef short rib was garnished with sweet roast shallots, smooth and buttery potato puree, buttered spinach, crispy shallot rings, a killer shallot and horseradish confit and another awesome sauce. 

For Mrs G’s dessert, a lovely pistachio soufflé was joined by excellent pistachio ice cream and a viscous bitter chocolate sauce. 

My dessert was the pick of the two. A soft, seriously rich 70% dark chocolate ganache was balanced by cleansing milk granita, potent coffee cream, caramelised pecans and a crisp biscuit crumb.

We moved back to the bar area for coffee. Intense mint and chocolate macarons and soft and chewy fruit and nut nougat rounded off a hugely memorable meal. 

With the arrival of Allister Barsby in the kitchen, The Grove has taken up their luxury level another notch. Both mine and Mrs G’s lunches were absolutely cracking but the set menu is an unmissable steal at £24.

The Details:

Address - The Grove, Molleston, Narberth, Pembrokeshire. Wales SA67 8BX 

Web - http://thegrove-narberth.co.uk/food-and-drink/ 

Telephone - 01834 860 915 

Ultracomida, Narberth, Spanish deli and tapas bar review

Ultracomida is a very, very dangerous place.

I could regularly spend all day snaffling their delicatessen's free samples of Spanish cheese, meats, olives and dips.

Then I’d pull up a pew at one of the communal tables in their bustling restaurant and order a ton of tapas from their daytime menu.

Finally, I’d spend all of my savings on more of their frigging lush produce to take home for later.

There are 2 branches of Ultracomida – the original in Aberystwyth and the younger sibling in the pretty Pembrokeshire town of Narberth, the one we visited.

So immense was our enjoyment that we visited en route to holidaying on the Pembrokeshire coast…. and then we popped in on our way back.

Their lunch menu is packed with classic tapas. 

Complimentary bread and meaty olives were of the highest calibre. Crunchy patatas bravas (£3.95) were accompanied by a reassuringly breath shnozzling aioli & a punchy tomato sauce.

A platter of charcuterie and cheese (£5.95), which comprised of soft brie, nutty manchego, sweet quince jelly, pickled chillies and fat-flecked salamis, hit the mark. However, the portion was on the small side and I wasn’t a sold on the potently anise flavoured crackers. 

Plump, crisp, paprika dusted anchovies (£4.95) were served with an umami-rich anchovy infused mayo whilst tender morsels of chorizo (£4.95) were served in an uber-addictive poaching liquor of Welsh cider. 

Churros were slightly too crisp (£2.95) but well dusted in cinnamon & sugar and accompanied by a lava-like hot chocolate. 

On our return trip we checked out Ultracomida’s breakfast menu and both ordered an excellent value set deal (£5.95) which included toasted ciabatta (delicious drizzled with a liberal glug of olive oil), mouth-meltingly soft serrano ham, a young manchego and a disappointingly fridge cold tomato.

A sturdy cafe con leche and a super fresh orange juice were included in the price. 

I would love a branch of Ultracomida in Cardiff. However, it’s just as well – I'd spend all my time and money there.

The details:

Address - Ultracomida, 7 High St, Narberth SA67 7AR

Web - http://www.ultracomida.co.uk/page/restaurants/narberth

Telephone - 01834 861491